My Amazing 8800GT Deal!

[RyanPaulShaffer]

So I'm building a new computer very soon, and I've been reading Anandtech and the forums keeping an eye on the video cards and the like for the last month or two. I see the 8800GT come out, smoke the benchmarks, then proceed to go Out of Stock and get price gouged like crazy. Then I see the 3870 come out, do pretty good in the benchmarks for the price, and proceed to go OOS (but no price gouging yet). So, I'm pretty bummed. How am I going to build a new gaming rig without a good video card? My budget is pretty limited, so I don't know what to do.

Then, I see the BFG OC 512 8800GT on the Best Buy site. I check availability. Sure enough, the store about 3 minutes away has it in stock. I debate going to pick one up, then decide to wait until next week (starting today). I then read on the forums that it's going to be on sale this week for $249 instead of $279. This seems like a pretty sweet deal, since NewEgg and the like are charging $269 plus shipping on a stock 8800GT. I check the deals for this week, and sure enough, it's on sale for $249.

This gets even better though. I go to Best Buy today and grab one of the two they have available. I have some Reward Zone coupons for 12% off of computer stuff, so I figure I'll give it a shot. I go to Customer Service, and the coupon worked!

Long story short: I got a BFG OC 512 8800GT for 219.99 plus tax! I'm not rubbing it in; I just wanted to share my exciting story with yall! Check your local Best Buy(s) before Wednesday to see if they have any. You could snag one for $249, or less if you have coupons!

Now I'm off to order the rest of my rig from NewEgg.

 

[FearoftheNight]

Good to hear! /cookie

 

[TecHNooB]

Wow, Best Buy actually sells computer parts at MSRP? The last time I looked at videocards from Best Buy, the 6600GT was priced at.. 300+ with the 6800GT at around 400.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

Originally posted by: TecHNooB
Wow, Best Buy actually sells computer parts at MSRP? The last time I looked at videocards from Best Buy, the 6600GT was priced at.. 300+ with the 6800GT at around 400.

Best Buy's prices usually suck, but every week they have a sale on different stuff. I've gotten both my MP3 players there at decent prices there while they're on sale ($50 off or so).

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

The actual retail price is $279.99, but they have a deal going on until Wednesday (or Thursday?) on the BFG 8800GT that it's $249.99.

 

[mitch3ll]

how is the noise on those bfg 8800gt's? im in the same position building up a new system and need a card, but i think i want a 3870 because they are much quieter

 

[jimboc22]

Wow, Best Buy actually sells computer parts at MSRP? The last time I looked at videocards from Best Buy, the 6600GT was priced at.. 300+ with the 6800GT at around 400.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking They were selling 8600GTSs for $249 when I bought the 8800GT last week for $279. The main reasons I got one from BB is that they had one in stock and I had a 10% off coupon. The price match guarantee and return policy until Jan 31st are kinda nice though.

how is the noise on those bfg 8800gt's? im in the same position building up a new system and need a card, but i think i want a 3870 because they are much quieter

Not too bad. Pretty obnoxious at full 100%. I keep it at 75% while gaming (temps around 60-65*C) and it's not much noisier than my other fans although you can still hear it. I turn it back down to stock (29%) when not playing, but I have the stereo up so loud while gaming that I can't really hear anything coming from my box anyway

 

[mitch3ll]

do you have to turn the fan down manually, or can you control that through software?

 

[jimboc22]

Right now, I'm using RivaTuner to adjust it manually since the auto keeps it set at 29%. I haven't fiddled too much with the fan settings yet, but I'm sure you can set up a profile to have it change speeds with different temps via RT. Someone else may have a better/more detailed directions for you.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Originally posted by: mitch3ll
do you have to turn the fan down manually, or can you control that through software?

Actually we have to turn the fan up manually using Rivatuner or another utility. He was just commenting on how noisy it is when adjusted up to 100%. The fan idles at 29% as jimboc said, the then it ramps up to 35% under load which equals 90c + in most users rigs. This is a little too warm for most of us.

Originally posted by: RyanPaulShaffer
Long story short: I got a BFG OC 512 8800GT for 219.99 plus tax! I'm not rubbing it in; I just wanted to share my exciting story with yall! Check your local Best Buy(s) before Wednesday to see if they have any. You could snag one for $249, or less if you have coupons!

Now I'm off to order the rest of my rig from NewEgg.

Ryan, congrats on the great deal, you got it $60 cheaper than I did. Also good luck on your new build.

 

[lament]

yeah it's rare that Best Buy would beat any other online retailers right now.. i was considering getting one (with the 12% coupon), but I have an eVGA and plan to step up to an 8800GT shortly.. just sucks that I have to step up to the slowest clocked 8800GT..

 

[ManWithNoName]

Originally posted by: lament
yeah it's rare that Best Buy would beat any other online retailers right now.. i was considering getting one (with the 12% coupon), but I have an eVGA and plan to step up to an 8800GT shortly.. just sucks that I have to step up to the slowest clocked 8800GT..

Really? They won't let you step-up to faster card even if you pay the extra difference in price? I was hoping to do this with the new GTS if it come out in time. Damn.

 

[jimboc22]

Originally posted by: lament
just sucks that I have to step up to the slowest clocked 8800GT..

I can't speak for eVGA, but the BFG from BB overclocks like a champ and I'm normally not an overclocker. You may get lucky and be able to overclock the reference board to SSC speeds, but most who will pay extra for SSC speeds are probably trying to avoid relying on luck anyways, eh?

 

[Puffnstuff]

That's a good find and I'm glad you were able to get it. All of the stores here in Jax are out of stock on that card, cc doesn't have it and compusa is out of stock as well.

 

[Syntax Error]

Originally posted by: jimboc22

Originally posted by: lament
just sucks that I have to step up to the slowest clocked 8800GT..

I can't speak for eVGA, but the BFG from BB overclocks like a champ and I'm normally not an overclocker. You may get lucky and be able to overclock the reference board to SSC speeds, but most who will pay extra for SSC speeds are probably trying to avoid relying on luck anyways, eh?

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones that immediately overclocked the stock EVGA 8800GT to past SSC speeds?

 

[HJustin]

I'm glad someone was able to get one from a Best Buy store. I went to my local store today with coupons (and gift cards) in hand but there were none to be had. In fact, none of stores in southwest Ohio had a single card. The doofus that "helped" me tried to tell me that they had been out of this card for a long time and then argued with me when I told him this was a new product.

 

[degeester]

Got nearly the same deal. The cashier scanned by mistake the 10% off coupon, a manager in customer service overroad the transaction and gave me $7.50 back. That's actually 3% more for a total of 13%.

I'm looking to build a new rig, thinking of waiting until Jan. or Feb. for a Wolfdale and a mobo that supports DDR2 . I feel that's the sweet price point on memory DDR3 still too expensive.

 

[Vampirrella]

Good find! /grats

 

[gorbs]

ordered mine this morning from BB.

Minimum System Requirements
> 1GB of system memory
> Microsoft Windows Vista -or- Windows XP
> CD or DVD-ROM drive
> 50MB of available hard disk drive space for basic driver installation
> 425W PCI Express-compliant system power supply with a combined 12V current rating of 28A or more (Minimum system power requirement based on a standard PC configured with an Intel® Core?2 Extreme X6800 processor)
> PCI Express-compliant motherboard with one vacant PCI Express x16 slot
> One 6-pin PCI Express supplementary power connector -or- Two 4-pin Molex supplementary power connectors


anybody have a pus thats putting out 28 amps on the 12 volt rail ? can't seem to find one. going to run this with a e4500 C2D.